That is no way to live.  If you are ready for another option…read on…

Please remember that I am not a health professional, I am merely sharing what has helped other people and made a huge difference in their lives.  I have not personally suffered from migraines or headaches so I cannot speak to the effectiveness of this program.  I can tell you that there is a money-back guarantee, so what have you got to lose?

In the interest of full disclosure I am an Independent Shaklee Distributor and if you choose to order products through me or my website I will receive a commission.  There is a reason I chose to distribute Shaklee products and that is because of their extreme attention to quality, third party testing, and consistent results.

STEP ONE:

To start with, headaches are often tied to a body that is overrun with toxins.  The first step is to detoxify the body by doing the following:

• Consume purified water
• Take DTX to detoxify the liver
• Take Alfalfa to purify the blood
• Take HerbLax to cleanse the colon and bladder
• Take Optiflora to support the digestive tract and to provide good bacteria to support the detox
• Increase fiber consumption (may be able to decrease Herb Lax).

Continue the above program until the body is having two bowel movements per day (no constipation, no diarrhea) and urinating several times per day.

STEP TWO:

The second step is to create a consistent regimen of giving your body what it needs to be strong and healthy.  Don’t be surprised if in addition to decreased headaches you also have more energy and other health complaints may decrease as well.  Make sure you are eating a healthy diet and continuing with purified water.  Take the following:

• VitaLea 3x/day
• B-Complex 6/day
• Herb Lax 2-4/day
• Energizing Soy Protein 3 tablespoons daily
• Vitamin C (sustained release) 6/day
• Calcium/Magnesium 6/day
• Alfalfa 12-15/day
• OmegaGuard 6/day
• GLA (gamma linolenic acid) 6/day
• Optiflora 1 each/day

Investigate if there may be a food you are consuming that is causing the headaches including:

• Chocolate
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Food colorings
• Fruits such as bananas, plums, or pineapple
• Wheat
• Dairy
• Alcohol (especially red wine)
• Pickled herrings

EMERGENCY RELIEF:

For a migraine that is coming on, have these packets ready to go to take to head it off (take one packet per hour until you experience relief):

• 2 B-Complex
• 2 Cal/Mag
• 2 GLA
• 4-5 Alfalfa
• 2 OmegaGuard
• Drink 1-8 oz. glass of Performance (Shaklee’s sports nutrition rehydration beverage)

If you are a regular reader then you know that I do not usually push Shaklee products on you.  In this case, I need to tell you that if you choose to use other company’s products you will likely not experience the same results.  Shaklee products are consistent quality and tested to make sure they actually get absorbed into your bloodstream.  Take a chance and give it a try.  As I mentioned before there is a money-back guarantee.  Wouldn’t it be great to have had your last headache or migraine?  Please feel free to contact me at: keithdonnacopeland@sbcglobal.net to get more support.  You can place orders at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com I am paid by Shaklee for products purchased through me or my site.  Good luck!

I thought it may be helpful if I share some of the causes of headaches that I am aware of that you may want to discuss with your health professional to see if any of them may be the cause of your headaches.  Please know that this is not a complete list and that I am not a medical professional.  Always seek the advise of a health professional to diagnose and treat your particular symptoms.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way…causes of headaches:

• Dehydration: This is likely the number one cause for headaches in the world.  Many of us are walking around dehydrated on a daily basis and we don’t even realize it.  If the majority of your fluids come from coffee or other caffeinated beverages or carbonated beverages, you are likely dehydrated.  If you feel a headache coming on, try to consume a full glass or two of water and wait fifteen minutes to see how you feel before taking any medication.
• Blood Sugar:  You don’t need to be a diabetic to suffer from fluctuations in blood sugar.  A very common response (besides moodiness) is headaches.  We can all follow the same advice that diabetics receive which is to consume regular meals and to include good, absorbable sources of protein at each meal; avoid simple sugars and simple carbohydrates; include a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day.
• Brain Tumors:  Not a pleasant consideration and a lot more complex than drinking more water, brain tumors can most definitely cause headaches and anyone who experiences headaches consistently needs to get tumors ruled out as a possibility.
• Aneurism:  There was a man I worked with back in the mid-90’s and his wife died very abruptly of a brain aneurism.  The primary sign was terrible headaches that came on regularly in the days leading up to her death.  Sudden, serious headaches are nothing to ignore.
• Physical Stress:  This is my number one cause of headaches.  Sitting in front of the computer too long (while hunching over the cat so he can sit in my lap while I reach for the keyboard) is the most likely reason for me to get a headache.  Stretching, massage, regular exercise, and practicing good posture will all help to avoid these headaches.  I can identify the cause of mine because the tightness starts in my shoulders and works its way up.
• Emotional Stress:  We can all relate to the pressure of reaching a deadline or having a family crisis and that resulting in a headache.  Meditation, relaxation techniques, and good communication skills coupled with effective boundary-setting are all tools that can help you to deal with and avoid headaches from emotional stress.
• Lack of Sleep:  Here is a good reason to fit a nap in or get a few extra hours on the weekend.  If you suffer from sleeping challenges, there are a variety of suggestions to create an excellent night’s sleep.  I will do another blog in the future on creating great sleep.
• Eye Strain: Make sure you have adequate lighting for the tasks you are doing.  I have also found that consciously thinking about relaxing the muscles around my eyes makes a huge difference when I am focusing on a very visual task.  Also, take regular breaks and focus your eyes on a variety of distances to reduce eye strain.
• Food or other allergies:  I found that when I discovered gluten was an itolerance of mine that my headaches went away when I removed gluten from my diet.  For seasonal allergies a tremendous amount of help can come by increasing water consumption and strengthening the immune system.

So there you have it…some of the most common causes of headaches.  Do any of them ring true for you?  A headache can really take you down a peg or two so if we can avoid them, we will all be better off.  Take good care of yourself!

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys helping others to live healthier lives naturally.  You can visit her website at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com to find out more about the products and business opportunity of Shaklee.  Donna is paid a commission by Shaklee for sales done through her organization.

I don’t think it is realistic to completely remove every trace of BPA from our lives.  To do that we would need to never eat out or in other people’s homes, always contact manufacturers before we purchase their products, and in general live an almost militant existence that will affect every aspect of our lives.  Neither do I propose that we throw our hands in the air and say, “It is outside of my control, there is nothing I can do about it.”  You need only to look at the plethora of green products that are in the market today (yes, some of them are questionably green, but green is big any way you look at it) to know that we have a lot of control in the marketplace.  We get to vote with our dollars and when enough of us start voting against BPA, the manufacturers will take notice and make changes.

To avoid increasing your exposure to  BPA from items you may already have in your home:

• Avoid temperature extremes.  For heaven’s sake do NOT stick that plastic in the microwave or freeze that water bottle.  Those types of temperature extremes have been shown to increase the rate that BPA transfers from the plastic into the food.  Just because a plastic says “microwave safe” doesn’t mean it won’t transfer harmful chemicals, it simply means it won’t melt when heated.  It is good to remember that distinction.
• Save those canned foods for emergencies.  I keep a stockpile of canned vegetables in case of emergency but I don’t use them for everyday meal preparation (although I don’t want you think I am super-human…I do resort to canned foods when the pantry or freezer is bare of alternatives…I guess that is an “emergency”).  In general I try to prepare my meals from whole foods that look like what they did when the farmer brought them in from the field.
• Put plastics marked #3 or #7 in recycling and don’t use them any more.  Those two numbers are the most likely to contain BPA.  Sometimes new #7 will say “BPA-Free” and in that case, feel free to keep them.  Sevens are the wild card of plastics.
• Store hot foods in glass or ceramic.  There are many great options with lids available.  The holidays are coming and that would be a good gift idea.
• Recycle plastics that are scratched or cloudy.
• Bring your own BPA-Free containers to restaurants for your “doggy bag”.  My husband and I started doing this to avoid all the styrofoam containers we were accumulating and then realized the benefit for avoiding BPA as well.

In addition, contact the manufacturers of items you  use, such as plastic wrap, and ask them if their products contain BPA.  You will be doing two things when you call: 1) You are educating yourself on what products are safe.  2) You are letting the manufacturer know that there are consumers out there who care about things like that.  Manufacturers figure that for every person who calls there are ten others who have the same concern who don’t call…pick up the phone and let them know you care.

Most of the information in this article came from Mother Earth News, August/September 2009 edition “Plastics: What’s Dangerous, What’s Not.”  There is a lot of information there that isn’t included here.  Continue to educate yourself and make conscious choices for your own good, the good of your family, and the good of the planet.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys educating herself and sharing the information she learns with readers of her healthy living tips.  Before Donna even knew what BPA was or that it was a danger, Shaklee assured her that their plastics and inks are all BPA-Free.  Donna is paid a commission by Shaklee on sales from her website.  You can go to: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com She is not paid a commission by Mother Earth News to endorse their magazine.

To start with I considered what I had.  I had stopped by a veggie stand earlier in the day and bought some really great looking green and yellow peppers along with corn on the cob.  I decided to have some of the fresh peppers chopped with Blue Cheese Dressing for dip and to boil the corn on the cob.  I also knew I had some brown rice to use up.  (If I didn’t have the fresh veggies I probably would have gone into the freezer and used broccoli or peas and steamed them.)

Then I got to the hard part…what to do about protein?  Keith and I had both been working hard in the yard and we needed protein.  As I perused the shelves, I noticed a small can of black bean soup, maybe big enough for one person.  But, I realized, I can stretch that can of soup into plenty for two people and serve it over the rice.  I grabbed the can of soup, an extra can of black beans, and an extra can of diced tomatoes.

I sauteed one onion and 1/2 each of the green and yellow pepper.  When they were soft I added the soup, beans, and 1/2 can of diced tomatoes.  I added some spicy season salt and simmered to blend the flavors.  I decided to serve it over the rice so I thickened it a bit with some cornstarch.

As I had been finishing my yardwork earlier I noticed one of our apple trees still had a few apples on it.  I picked four that looked relatively good (but they still had some suspicious spots on them) and brought them inside.  I knew I had a gluten-free pie crust in the freezer so I pulled that out and my original plan was to fold the pie crust on itself and bake it so it would be more like a turnover.  When I started working with the crust it was obvious it was too fragile for that so I left the crust on the cookie sheet, sliced up the apples (after peeling, coring, and cutting out all the bad spots), mixed the apples with some sugar, cinnamon, gluten-free flour, and apple pie spice, then poured them onto the flat pie crust. 

I used a spatula to push up the edges of the crust to make an edge and then dotted the top with a few dollops of butter then baked it at 350 until the apples were soft.  What a yummy dessert!

Hopefully the next time you are standing, uninspired, in front of your pantry try to think of how you can stretch what you already have and make something out of nothing for dinner.  The results can be very tasty!

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys cooking and experimenting with food.  One of Donna’s favorite meals-on-the-go is Shaklee’s Cinch Shake, vanilla with frozen strawberries blended in and soy milk.  You can see more at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com  Donna is paid by Shaklee for products purchased through her or her site.

• Keeping our immune systems strong is our best defense against Swine Flu or any other disease, both from catching the virus in the first place and especially from preventing death.
• There will be more illnesses coming around.  We don’t know if they will come next week or next month or next year.  Of course each year there is a new strain or two of the flu that makes it’s way around.  What about the next “bug” that no one has seen before?

So some additional immune-boosting tips are:

• Have an Echinacea and zinc supplement “standing by” to boost your immune system when you have been exposed to illness or are starting to feel a little run down.  Echinacea is not meant to be consumed every day of every year because our bodies will develop a tolerance.  Instead use if for a couple weeks at a time to give yourself a quick boost then stop taking it again.  Just keep it handy because when you feel like you need it, you don’t want to have to be running around trying to find it.
• Avoid sugar.  I did a post last week on some of the dangers of sugar.  What I didn’t discuss was that sugar is the “anti-nutrient” and it actually depletes your body of vitamins and minerals that are essential for your immune system (like B Vitamins, antioxidants, and zinc).  A side note, based on the number of hits for THAT post, people don’t want to read about the dangers of sugar.  So, I am going to take a lesson from the food industry and rather than outright address sugar, I am going to incorporate my anti-sugar message in places where you wouldn’t expect to find it.  That is what the food industry has done.

In 1900 the average person ate 10 pounds of sugar a year.  In 1985 that was up to 124 pounds per year.  In the year 2000 we reached 160 pounds per year.  When will it stop?  How much sugar do YOU want to consume each year?  How much sugar do you want your kids to consume each year?  I’m not saying to never have sugar.  I had rhubarb crisp as a Mother’s Day dessert with my mom and later I had a chocolate, peanut, and caramel candy last night, two actually.  They were tasty!  I’m suggesting that we be more thoughtful in our sugar intake and reduce BOTH how much we consume and how often we consume it.

• Reduce exposure to toxins.  It is remarkable how many things we have been conditioned to think are actually a good thing are, in fact, dangerous to us.  Everything from air fresheners to having a green and dandelion-free lawn increase our levels of toxic exposure.  The air quality in our homes is 2 – 5 times worse than the outside air, according to the E.P.A.

Some of the top toxins our bodies are battling everyday (in my opinion):

• Household chemicals that touch our skin or that we inhale (cleaners, detergents, etc)
• Pesticide or herbicide foods (most farms that produce our foods use pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides to create “prettier” and more plentiful results then we consume that when we consume our food)
• Artificial, synthetic drugs that we take.  You have probably heard that many of the drugs that are available actually were originally discovered in nature.  And that is true.  What isn’t stressed is that the researchers take the natural component, isolate it, and figure out how to make a synthetic version of it (for two main reasons: 1) They can better control the consistency of dosage with synthetics because natural components vary in their dosage based on water and nutrients in the soil.  2) They can put a patent on a synthetic compound and then sell it for higher profit.  The downside is that there are side-effects for drugs.  Look at the warning labels.  How many of them warn against damage to your liver or all kinds of damages to your stomach or eyesight?  For some of them the cure is worse than the disease.

There is a time and a place for drugs but my belief is that time should be few and far between.  We need to keep our body’s strong and be less reactionary about our health.  We, as Western humans, tend to expect that we can ignore advise about eating healthy and exercising and figure that the medical community can take care of our ailing bodies when that time comes.

There will be more “Immune-Boosting” tips to come!  In the meantime, choose one or two things for yourself that you could see yourself doing that will boost your immunity.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who dislikes seeing other people in pain or hurt.  It is her mission to help make the world a safer and healthier place for all by sharing information about how we can easily impact our health and the health of others and the planet through our consumption choices.  She blogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays about a variety of health and wellness tips.  You can visit her website at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com.  Donna is paid by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website.

It started with my elimination diet.  I was diagnosed with a pretty severe infestation of candida yeast in my digestive tract.  Pretty gross to think about something in there alive but the truth is we have an awful lot of good AND bad bacteria in our bodies, many of them residing in our digestive tracts.  The challenge with candida is that it causes a  lot of irritation and swelling as well as headaches, bloating, and other digestive problems.  It is pretty remarkable how many symptoms a candida overgrowth (or infestation as I prefer to call it for shock value) has.

When this was first diagnosed I met with a woman my doctor recommended to work through my elimination diet because part of the goal was to not only kill these guys but to also determine what else my be going on in my system.  She was coaching me on the process of eliminating them and she warned me that as I went “cold turkey” on ALL sugars (even fruits) they would crank up their sugar demands like nothing I had ever experienced.  She was right!  I remember seeing people eating a piece of fruit and salivating.  I may have been a bit cranky for that week too…I have blocked the memories, you can ask Keith.

So starting off, one thing I want you to know is that if you have serious sugar cravings, you may have a problem with candida.  The next question is usually, “How does someone contract candida?”  That part is surprisingly easy.  I believe one of the most common is when we are on antibiotics they kill off the bacteria in our digestive tracts, all of them.  The bad bugs grow back at a faster rate then the good and suddenly no one wants to live in your neighborhood anymore.

There is a lot more to share about this but I want to cover some additional information on avoiding sugar.  If you would like an information sheet on the symptoms and treatments for candida, please drop me a comment.

After that initial burst of getting sugar out of my diet (for over six weeks!) I vowed I would never become that addicted again.  I have succeeded in that pledge.  It helped that I immediately went “gluten-free” and some of my favorite sweets evaporated before my eyes.  Especially licorice (which contains wheat).  After my dad was diagnosed with cancer I learned that cancer cells feed on sugar.  That gave me some good motivation to keep my own consumption of sugar in check.  For example, previously I only liked coffee if it had cream AND sugar in it.  I have since decided that I like coffee just fine with just cream.

These little eliminations add up.  I do avoid all artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucrolose, and sacchrine.  I am concerned about the affect of these man-made chemicals on my health and I figure safer to avoid then deal with the consequences later.  If I want something sweet (and I do still bake and eat candy from time to time) I use the “real thing”.  I am a fan of natural plant-based sugars like xylitol (excellent in gum, mints, and toothpaste – proven to kill  strep bacteria) and stevia.  I also love agave nectar (very sweet, metabolizes slower then honey or other sugars-see http://stayinghealthytips.com/17/agave-concerns/ post which brings up concerns around agave nectar production) and brown rice syrup (also metabolizes slower-cook it on the stove with your favorite nut butter and chocolate chips then add in a cereal of your choice for a healthier alternative to Rice Krispie Treats).

That is it for today.  We will discuss in the future some of the other considerations when changing ones’ sugar habits.  In the meantime, look for a place in your life today that you can reduce or eliminate sugar.  I guarantee you will still find that enjoyment and sweetness in each moment of your life.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor that has found the soy protein products to be a tremendous help in managing her own sugar issues.  You can also check out the Cinch products and Glucose Regulation Complex which also help to balance sugar cravings.   Go to: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com for more information or to purchase products.  Donna is paid for purchases made through her or her website.

• Get plenty of sleep (7-8 hours each night).  This is critical to keeping your immunity strong.  Studies have also shown you are less likely to have a heart attack and more likely to lose weight if you are getting adequate rest.  This is the time your body needs to slow down and regenerate.
• Drink plenty of water (2-3 liters per day).  Your body is made up of water so it makes sense that you need to add more good, pure water in to keep it healthy.  If your body is fighting being exposed to something you want to give it support by helping to flush out any toxins.  Filtered water is best because truly your body doesn’t need the bleach they put in municipal water systems.  (Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake too.)
• Eat good food and maintain a balanced diet.  Get your fruits and veggies; avoid sugars and high-fat diets (although feel free to be liberal with “cold pressed” fats like many olive oils as long as you are eating them cold, not using them to fry chicken!).  See some of my other posts for more information on good nutrition.

You know there is more but you aren’t looking to read “War and Peace” today.  Okay!  Now onto some of the things your mom may not have told you about.  She likely didn’t know this information to share it with you.  She may have encouraged you to take a daily vitamin and that is a good start (as long as the supplement actually breaks down in your body and gets absorbed and isn’t tainted with lead like so many are today).  You want to choose supplements that are based on food, not synthetics.  If the pill is rather small but covers most of the RDA suggestions for a day, it is likely synthetic and packed so tight there is no way your body is going to break it down to take advantage of the nutrients.  Plus, our bodies recognize synthetics differently than “real” food.  Don’t waste your time or money taking a vitamin your body doesn’t want.  Here are some specific “immune system support” supplements:

• B Vitamins: All of them, but especially B6, Folic Acid, and B12.  When our bodies are stressed they really go through the B Vitamins so if you have been under extra pressure, get additional B Vitamins in your diet.
• Vitamin A: Also known as beta carotene.
• Vitamin C: Probably one of the most well-known immune boosters; Very helpful for cell regeneration and healing.
• Vitamin E: Not just for healthy skin, it is good for you inside and out.
• Zinc: You may have become aware of the studies showing that zinc helps lessen a virus’ severity and length;  taken as a precaution it also aids with prevention.
• Echinacea: This is for short-term use only when you think you may have been exposed to illness.  I helps to “supercharge” your immune system but overtime your body adjusts to its use and the affect lessens.  Use for only two to four weeks at a time.
• Resveratrol: This miracle supplement that has been featured by Barbara Walters and separately on 60 Minutes has been shown to increase our body’s immunity at a cellular level, where the battle is being waged.

One last tidbit your mom didn’t know about.  Your body’s immune system is greatly supported by interferon.  Interferon was discovered during the 1950’s in Japan and since then researchers have discovered how to create a drug form that is used commonly for cancer and AIDS patients.  From what I understand the side effects are pretty challenging.  However, the same immunologist who discovered interferon also created a supplement that helps our body’s boost our natural production of interferon for immune support.  I think this is partly responsible for why I didn’t get ill after my dad died last year.  Even with all the stress and the lost sleep, I was able to stay healthy and I credit a lot of that to my supplements.

You can learn more about immune support and interferon at the website www.ImmunityFacts.com.  If you are interested in getting some good, clinically proven (and money-back guaranteed) supplements to boost your immunity, get in touch with me.  I am not into scare tactics but I think there is a lot more we can be doing for our bodies on a regular basis that the media doesn’t tell us about.  They would rather scare us and then hope there is a large enough stockpile of drugs to treat everyone.  Personally, I am looking to avoid Swine Flu and other illness in the first place.  Want to join me?

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys helping people live healthier lives by choosing wisely.  You can visit her website at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com In case you are curious, the supplements Donna takes each day are: Vitalizer, Vivix, Nutriferon, Osteomatrix (calcium), Alfalfa, GLA (for balancing women’s cycles), Iron, and Liver DTX (for detoxing the liver).  Donna is paid by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website.

It was removed under local anesthetic and I watched the procedure in the reflection of the lamp (there is a lot of my dad in me…he watched his biopsy of his liver tumor). The surgeon said he was pretty sure it was benign and the lab results confirmed the informal diagnosis. It got me to thinking about how these “things” start growing uncontrollably, whether they are cancerous or not and what is going on inside our bodies often takes decades to come to fruition. I noodled on that for a while and in the meantime scheduled an appointment with my regular doctor, a holistic M.D.

I asked Dr. Linkner about benign breast lumps and if there was anything he thought could prevent them. (The other doctors had said no, there was nothing to prevent them.) Dr. Linkner said that some of the research coming out appears that we may be missing certain vitamins or minerals in our diet that are causing these mutations. He did some bloodwork and I began taking my vitamins and minerals regularly.

Since then I have continued thinking about our cells and what they need to be healthy and productive. I remember my parents cautioning me against eating “empty calories” like candy and potato chips when I was a child and teenager. Even into my 20’s I remember grappling with the concept of what an “empty calorie” was and why it should be avoided. There was a part of logic in my brain that said, “Your body needs so many calories a day to stay alive, you may as well take in whatever calories are available.”

I’m sure many of you understand the flawed logic that is at work there in the mind of someone who has not fully developed their brain. Part of it was also education. I didn’t yet understand that my body requires certain nutrients and substances to stay healthy and functioning. Things like vitamins, fiber, water, essential fats, minerals; these are all the building blocks of a healthy body.

Conversely, those “empty calories” are more like “toxic calories” because empty makes them sound harmless when in fact they usually add damaging components to our bodies that wreak havoc on everything from our pancreas and blood sugar levels, our digestive system, our heart and cardiovascular health, and pretty much every area of our bodies. They are even linking many behavioral and mental challenges to be at least partially influenced by diet and nutrition.

So consider what you consume. Is this helping your body to be more healthy or less healthy? Is it an empty or toxic calorie or something to really nourish you and create long-term health and wellness? Our cells need good building blocks to help us to each achieve a long and healthy life.

In my next blog I will tell you about a remarkable substance that has been found to REPAIR cells and assist each of us in undoing some of the damage we have done to our bodies.

Donna Copeland is and Independent Shaklee Distributor who is compensated by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website.  You can find out more about Shaklee’s natural nutrition supplements at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com

I found a great way to get my cardio workout and work off some of those calories from our feasting. We took Jewel on a lovely romp through the hills and hollers which she greatly enjoyed, as did I. It is always a pleasure to have it be warm enough to be outside yet cool enough to not need to worry about ticks and their blood borne diseases.

On Christmas Day, we went up to see Keith’s Uncle Pat for a brief visit. He is hanging out at the local “Assisted Living Center” while his son and daughter-in-law are visiting their children for the holidays. It is really nice that there is a service like that so Uncle Pat’s medicines and meals are taken care of while they are gone and we have been very impressed with both the facility and their staff. Uncle Pat is a diabetic and he recently went through surgery on his own digestive system.

Anyway, we showed up right at supper time so we visited with him while he ate. It occurred to me that the meal they served him was not necessarily the best for a diabetic with some digestive issues. It was a white bread sandwich with mayo, bacon, and processed cheese with a side of macaroni and cheese. Not a single vegetable or fruit and I would guess only a gram or two of fiber.

I have been going through an education on diabetes, both prevention and treatment, because of Keith’s partnership with Mr. Diabetes, Andy Mandell. You can go to his website at www.defeatdiabetes.org and learn all kinds of interesting things. One of his issues is that so many of the nationally known diabetes organizations are not about finding a cure, they are about treating diabetes through drugs and “managing” the disease rather than finding a cure and truly preventing this terrible disease.

Did you know that over 54 million Americans are currently pre-diabetic? That means if they don’t change their lifestyle (and 95% of those cases can be prevented) they WILL develop diabetes in the next ten years. Diabetes isn’t just about watching out how much sugar you consume. It is a disease that has been shown to take ten years off the average person’s life and to greatly decrease quality of life. There are so many related issues that would all be prevented if the person didn’t develop diabetes in the first place.

So here are a couple things you can do to not become a statistic:
1) Exercise regularly
2) Eat a high quality diet, avoiding processed foods (including “sugar free” drinks and snacks ~ I’ll discuss those another time)
3) Minimize carbohydrates and when you do consume them, eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice
4) Make sure you are getting 25-30 grams of fiber in your diet per day with 2 oz of water per gram of fiber (50-60 oz per day)
5) When you do eat carbohydrates, pair them with a quality protein like soy which aids your body in processing the carbohydrates and prevents your pancreas from overworking

What is really remarkable is that the five tips listed above also help with general health and well-being. What a bonus. Many cancers, heart disease, strokes, even colds and flu, can be greatly reduced by those simple steps.

Healthy living is a choice we make each day, each moment, each time we open the fridge or place our order at the restaurant. You may not always make the best choice each day (I had french fries two days ago) but you want to make conscious choices that you are willing to live with. I happen to really love sugar but knowing that sugar causes such problems with diabetes AND cancer (not to mention dental health and weight issues) I have decided to greatly reduce my intake of sugar, especially processed sugar. In just a few weeks I have noticed a difference in my craving levels and how much sugar it takes to feel “satisfied” when I do decide to indulge.

Maybe choose one of the five areas to focus on this week and see what a difference you can make in your own health, both for preventing diabetes and health in general.  Here’s to your health!

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who is not paid or compensated in anyway by www.DefeatDiabetes.org.  She is paid by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com

There is a lot of press about being healthy and it feels like every other report contradicts the last one. Eggs are healthy, eggs aren’t healthy, egg whites are healthy, the whole egg is healthy if it comes from a chicken that gets to forage. What is a person to do?

I think we know a lot of what we are supposed to do already.
- We are supposed to eat natural foods that don’t have added sugars
- We are supposed to get a good amount of fiber in our diet each day
- We are supposed to drink mainly water
- We are supposed to eat a balanced diet containing protein, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates

One of the simple ways I think of a healthy diet is eating foods that are “close to the source.” In fact for me, I have a general rule that if a food looks like you would find it in nature I can eat as much as I want of it. If it has been modified in any way (except for being cut by a knife) that rule no longer applies. So for example, plain avocadoes, I allow myself to eat as many of them as I would like. Same goes for apples or oranges.

Think about flours, the same rule doesn’t apply because they don’t look like they do in nature. They have been processed. The farther away from its source that a food is, the less I allow myself to consume.

If that “rule” works for you feel free to borrow it.

Did you know that over 54 million Americans are pre-diabetic? WOW! That means that in the next ten years, if they don’t change their ways, they will develop the disease.

The next WOW is that 95% of these cases are preventable with a long-lasting lifestyle change.

You may have heard the statistics of Type 2 (often described as “Adult Onset”) has been diagnosed in children that are not even teenagers yet. This is a new development which is related to other unhealthy trends we are seeing.

Our goal at Quest is to save 20 lives this year. One way I will encourage you to make sure you are not in the “pre-diabetic” category is to consider your diet and if there are areas that you know are unhealthy, make a change for the better.

Try not to substitute unhealthy natural choices with man-made chemicals. For example, I recently stopped using sugar in my coffee. I no longer put ANY sweetener in my coffee because I have a mistrust of artificial sweeteners based on everything that I have read and heard about.

My father died of cancer this past June as you may know. Cancer grows on sugar and sugar has long been a weakness of mine. I have decided recently to greatly decrease my sugar intake. So far, so good. I am pleased with my progress. Having fresh oranges has really helped as they are in season right now and make a great evening snack.

Consider your diet and think of one area that you would like to improve and make better food choices. Make a commitment today to do so. There is no need to wait.

Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing what she has learned on her journey.  You can find more information about Shaklee at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com (Donna is paid by Shaklee for sales that happen through her website or through her.)